Mohegan Sun Arena gets AAC women's tournament

Monday

Jun 10, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 10, 2013 at 10:22 AM

Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess clearly was thrilled to hear the American Athletic Conference announcement on Monday that its women’s basketball tournament will be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in 2014.

Marc Allard

Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess clearly was thrilled to hear the American Athletic Conference announcement on Monday that its women’s basketball tournament will be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in 2014.

“We’re just excited to have something that we have been working on so long finally come to fruition,” Etess said. “This is what bringing the Connecticut Sun here has done for us, it has made us a true entertainment company, not just a gaming or hotel company.”

The tournament only has a one-year deal, with an option for a second year — the Arena is holding the 2015 dates open — but Etess is confident the AAC will stick around for a longer time than that.

Etess said the Mohegan Sun Arena had been working for years to lure the Big East women’s basketball tournament away from the XL Center in Hartford. The trouble had been that the Catholic schools within the conference objected to having the tournament played on casino grounds.

Those Catholic schools broke off earlier this year from the rest of the remaining Big East Conference, and took the name with them.

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco told The Associated Press that none of the AAC schools objected to playing at a gambling venue.

“There hasn’t been any concern about that anymore, because as you know, several conferences have had their tournaments in Las Vegas or even on a casino property,” Aresco said.

The Pac-12 held its men’s tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this year, one of four conference tournaments held in that city. Atlantic City, N.J., also has hosted the Atlantic 10 tournament in Boardwalk Hall, which sits among a strip of casinos.

Etess said he wants to make this tournament a memorable event, such as the men’s tournament at Madison Square Garden.

“We’re going to create activities with all of our shops and restaurants within our building, plus those in the area and the local tourist attractions like Mystic Seaport,” he said.

The Sun already hosts the annual Hall of Fame Tip Off tournament, has hosted other NCAA games and serves as the site for the state high school basketball championships. It will host the WNBA All-Star Game for the fourth time in July.

Etess said the players and coaches will not be entering the arena through the casino, and likely will stay at nearby hotels rather than at the resort’s hotel.

“No one is forced to go into the casino,” he told the AP, “and it’s never been a problem.”

The casino also has applied to host the men’s tournament, though it is considered a long shot. Venues in cities such as Louisville, Cincinnati and Memphis also are in the running. That announcement is expected within the next few weeks.

UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel said the university is happy to see the tournament remain in the state.

“We have the strongest fan base, the strongest market for women’s basketball in the country,” he said. “So, I’m excited that it’s staying here.”

One of the restaurant options tournament patrons will have at the casino is Geno’s Fast Break, which consists of a food court and separate pub co-owned by UConn’s Hall-of-Fame head coach, Geno Auriemma.